Henry Erskine
| death_place = | nationality = British | party = | alma_mater = St Andrews University University of Edinburgh University of Glasgow | spouse = (1) Christian Fullerton (d. 1804) (2) Erskine Munro }} Rt. Hon. Henry "Harry" Erskine (1 November 1746 - 8 October 1817) was a Scottish poet, lawyer, and Member of Parliament. Life Youth Erskine was the third but second surviving son of Henry Erskine, 10th Earl of Buchan, by Agnes, daughter of Sir James Steuart, 7th Baronet. He was the brother of David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, and Lord Chancellor Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine.thepeerage.com Hon. Henry Erskine He was educated at St Andrews University, Edinburgh University and the University of Glasgow. He was described as "a tall and rather slender figure, a face sparkling with vivacity, a clear sweet voice, and general suffusion of elegance".Monuments and Statues of Edinburgh, Michael T. R. B. Turnbull, (Chambers) p. 54 He was educated at St. Andrews University, Glasgow, and Edinburgh University. At Edinburgh he studied under Hugh Blair and Adam Ferguson. He was admitted to the bar in 1768.Henry Erskine (1746-1817), English Poetry, 1579-1830, Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Web, June 14, 2016. Legal and political career Erskine served as Lord Advocate from 1783 to 1784 in the Fox-North Coalition and again from 1806 to 1807 in the Ministry of All the Talents. He was advocate and state councillor to the Prince of Wales in Scotland from 1783. He was Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 1785 to 1795, but was not re-elected in 1796, due to his opposition to the war. Lord Cockburn, commenting on his replacement, observed that "it was the Faculty of Advocates alone that suffered"."Trial of Deacon Brodie", William Roughead, 1906 In 1788, he had the unenviable task of defending the celebrated Edinburgh thief Deacon Brodie. Despite his best efforts, Brodie was sentenced to death. Erskine sat as Member of Parliament for Haddington Burghs from April to November 1806, and for Dumfries Burghs from 1806 to 1807. He was appointed as a Commissioner to inquire into administration of justice in Scotland in 1808. In 1811 he gave up his practice at the bar and retired to his country residence of Almondell, in Linlithgowshire. It was said of him that "no poor man wanted a friend while Harry Erskine lived." He published The Emigrant, an Eclogue, 1773 and other poems. Family Erskine married firstly Christian, daughter of George Fullerton, in 1772. They lived at Shoemakers Close on the Canongate.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1775 They had two sons and two daughters. Their eldest son, Henry, succeeded as 12th Earl of Buchan on his uncle's death in 1829. After Christian's death in May 1804 Erskine married as his second wife Erskine, daughter of Alexander Munro and widow of Sir James Turnbull, in 1805. This marriage was childless. Henry Erskine died in October 1817, aged 70. A bust of Erskine by Peter Turnerelli stands in Parliament Hall in Edinburgh. Publications Poetry *''[http://spenserians.cath.vt.edu/TextRecord.php?action=GET&textsid=37517 The Emigrant: An eclogue'' (printed with Ode to Leven Water, by T. Smollet). Glasgow: Brash & Reid, 1796. Non-fiction *''An Appeal from Scotland. To be heard ex parte''. 1782. *''The Speeches of the Right Hon. Lord Erskine: At the bar and in Parliament; with a prefatory memoir'' (edited by Henry Brougham). London: James Ridgway, 1847. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtey WorldCat.Search results = au:Hon Henry Erskine, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, June 14, 2016. See also *List of British poets References External links ;Prose * ;About *Henry Erskine (1746-1817) at English Poetry, 1579-1830 *Erskine, Hon. Henry (1746-1817) at History of Parliament Online *Erskine, Henry (1746-1817) in the Dictionary of National Biography *''The Honourable Henry Erskine, Lord Advocate of Scotland'' by Alexander Fergusson Category:1746 births Category:1817 deaths Category:Alumni of the University of St Andrews Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies Category:Scottish poets Category:UK MPs 1802–06 Category:UK MPs 1806–07 Category:Deans of the Faculty of Advocates Category:Younger sons of earls Henry Category:Lords Advocate Category:18th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Scottish lawyers Category:Poets